paddlesteamers.info : The Internet's leading website for
Side-Wheeled Paddle Steamers
PS Marion
Above : PS Marion at Mannum in January 2005 in a photo kindly made available
for public use by Scott Davis under the GNU Free Documentation Licence
and the Creative Commons SA 3.0 licence which must be used for any
further copying or transmission
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/GNU_Free_Documentation_License
http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.
Built - 1897 (hull), 1900
(engines)
Builder - A H Landseer, Milang, Australia
Engines - Twin Cylinder 11 inch x 16 inch stroke built by Marshall
& Sons, Gainsborough, UK
Boiler - wood fired, built by engineers
Length - 108 ft : breadth - 22 ft 7 in
Purchased by Mr
William Bowring in 1900 to replace a steamer which was lost to fire,
the original plan to operate marion as a "pleasure" steamer was
thwarted by the death of her owner soon after her launch at Milang.
Bowring had the hull moved to Echuca where a superstructure and
British-built engine was fitted. and the ship found a new role as a
travelling shop on the darling River based at Wentworth.
In 1908 she was sold to a new owner based at Renmark and passenger
accommodation was fitted, the first of many changes of ownership,
form and function. As a passenger ship for the Murray Shipping
Company between 1934 and 1952, marion cruised between Renmark, Goolwa
and Morgan. She was purchased by the national Trust in 1963 with the
intention of static preservation at Mannum, until a decision was
taken, in 1989, to restore her to operation.
After considerable volunteer effort, Marion was recomissioned in
November 1994, under ownership of the local community of Mannum and
operation of the Mannum Museum Dock Board The restoration was planned
to extend the ship's life for a further 100 years. She is open for
visits at her berth for most of the year. A limited number of public
cruises and charters are undertaken including multi-day cruises using
the passenger cabins built during the
restoration.
Return
to
Australia